Multipurpose pillow and storage container

ABSTRACT

Some embodiments of the present disclosure include a multipurpose pillow for cushioning a user&#39;s head and storing an eyeshade. The multipurpose pillow may have a cushion, a slot in a surface of the cushion, the slot configured to grant a user access to a storage compartment located in an interior of the cushion, and vented shades removably attached to the cushion. The pair of vented shades may include a solid element, a plurality of vent slots, and a pair of arms. The storage compartment in the cushion may be large enough to hold the vented shades.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to provisional patent application U.S. Ser. No. 61,934,507 filed on Jan. 31, 2014, the entire contents of which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The embodiments herein relate generally to travel accessories, and more particularly, to a multipurpose travel pillow and storage container.

Conventional travel pillows only serve to cushion a user's head while resting, but do not help keep the sun or lights out of a user's eyes. As a result, many people will also wear an eye mask while resting in a sunny or well-lit location. However, eye masks completely block the user's vision, preventing the user from being able to see his or her surroundings. Moreover, a person may remember an eye mask, but forget the travel pillow or vice versa.

Therefore, what is needed is a multipurpose pillow configured to cushion a user's head while resting that also includes an attachment configured to block a substantial amount of sun and light from a user's eyes while also allowing the user to see his or her surroundings.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments of the present disclosure include a multipurpose pillow for cushioning a user's head and storing an eyeshade. The multipurpose pillow may have a cushion, a slot in a surface of the cushion, the slot configured to grant a user access to a storage compartment located in an interior of the cushion, and vented shades removably attached to the cushion. The pair of vented shades may include a solid element, a plurality of vent slots, and a pair of arms. The storage compartment in the cushion may be large enough to hold the vented shades.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The detailed description of some embodiments of the invention is made below with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like numerals represent corresponding parts of the figures.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention in use.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention showing the shades being inserted into the pillow for storage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

In the following detailed description of the invention, numerous details, examples, and embodiments of the invention are described. However, it will be clear and apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth and that the invention can be adapted for any of several applications.

The device of the present disclosure may be used as a pillow configured to store items and to block light from a user's eyes while also allowing the user to see the surrounding area and may comprise the following elements. This list of possible constituent elements is intended to be exemplary only, and it is not intended that this list be used to limit the device of the present application to just these elements. Persons having ordinary skill in the art relevant to the present disclosure may understand there to be equivalent elements that may be substituted within the present disclosure without changing the essential function or operation of the device.

-   1. Pillow -   2. Eyeshade -   3. Storage Compartment

The various elements of the multipurpose pillow for cushioning a user's head, providing storage, blocking light from a user's eyes, and permitting vision of the surrounding areas of the present disclosure may be related in the following exemplary fashion. It is not intended to limit the scope or nature of the relationships between the various elements and the following examples are presented as illustrative examples only.

By way of example, and referring to FIGS. 1-3, some embodiments of the multipurpose pillow 10 of the present disclosure comprise a cushion 12 having a slot 13 in a surface of the cushion 12, the slot 13 granting a user access to a storage compartment located in an interior of the cushion 12; and an eyeshade 14 attached to the cushion 12. In some embodiments, the eyeshade 14 may comprise glasses or shades configured to block at least a portion of the light in the surroundings while also allowing a user to view the surroundings. For example, the eyeshade 14 may be vented shades, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, the vented shades comprising a solid element 16 and a plurality of vent slots 20. The eyeshade 14 may also comprise a pair of arms 18 configured to engage with a user's ears similar to arms on a conventional pair of glasses.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the eyeshade 14 may be attached to the cushion 12 using a pair of strings 15. The strings 15 may have a first end attached to the cushion 12, for example at a location proximate to the slot 13, and a second end comprising a loop configured to engage with the arms 18 of the eyeshade 14. Alternatively, the strings 15 may removably attach to the eyeshade 14 using fastener, such as a button, a snap, or a hook and loop fastener like Velcro. In some embodiments, the strings 14 may be permanently attached to the eyeshade 14. However, when the eyeshade 14 is removably attached to the cushion 12, the eyeshade 14 may be replaced with a different style of eyeshade, with reading glasses, or with sunglasses.

In some embodiments, the slot 13 may have a mechanism to temporarily seal the slot 13 closed, such as a zipper, a hook and loop fastener like Velcro, a snap, or a button. The slot 13 may grant a user access to a storage compartment located within the cushion 12. The storage compartment may be any size and, in embodiments, is large enough to hold the eyeshade 14 such that, when the eyeshade 14 is not in use, a user may store the eyeshade 14 in the storage compartment in the cushion 12. Additionally, the compartment in the cushion 12 may be large enough to hold a user's personal items, such as money, identification, a credit card, and lip gloss. Thus, the cushion 12 and the storage compartment may have any size slightly larger than the eyeshade 14. Similarly, the cushion 12 may have any shape so long as the storage compartment located on the interior of the cushion 12 is capable of holding the eyeshade 14. In some embodiments, the cushion 12 may be substantially rectangular.

To use the multipurpose pillow 10 of the present disclosure, a user may remove the eyeshade 14 from the compartment in the cushion 13, place his or her head against the cushion 13, and put the eyeshade 14 into place over his or her eyes, as shown in FIG. 1. The strings 15 may prevent the user from losing either the eyeshade 14 or the cushion 12 and may help keep the cushion 12 and eyeshade 14 in place while in use. When a user is not resting with the multipurpose pillow 10, the user may remove the eyeshade 14 and slip the eyeshade 14 through the slot 13 into the storage compartment in the cushion 12, as shown in FIG. 3. Thus, the multipurpose pillow 12 may also function as a storage device to store and protect the eyeshade 14.

Persons of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that numerous design configurations may be possible to enjoy the functional benefits of the inventive systems. Thus, given the wide variety of configurations and arrangements of embodiments of the present invention the scope of the invention is reflected by the breadth of the claims below rather than narrowed by the embodiments described above. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A multipurpose pillow for cushioning a user's head and storing an eyeshade, the multipurpose pillow comprising: a cushion; a slot in a surface of the cushion, the slot configured to grant a user access to a storage compartment located in an interior of the cushion; and an eyeshade attached to the cushion, wherein the storage compartment has a size large enough to hold the eyeshade.
 2. The multipurpose pillow of claim 1, wherein the eyeshade comprises vented shades, the vented shades comprising a solid element and a plurality of vent slots.
 3. The multipurpose pillow of claim 1, wherein the eyeshade comprises a pair of arms configured to engage with a user's ears.
 4. The multipurpose pillow of claim 3, wherein the eyeshade is attached to the cushion by a pair of strings.
 5. The multipurpose pillow of claim 4, wherein each of the pair of strings comprises a first end permanently attached to the cushion and a second end configured to engage with the arms of the eyeshade.
 6. The multipurpose pillow of claim 5, wherein the second end of the string is a loop.
 7. The multipurpose pillow of claim 1, wherein the eyeshade is removably attached to the cushion.
 8. The multipurpose pillow of claim 1, wherein the eyeshade is permanently attached to the cushion.
 9. A multipurpose pillow for cushioning a user's head and storing an eyeshade, the multipurpose pillow comprising: a cushion; a slot in a surface of the cushion, the slot configured to grant a user access to a storage compartment located in an interior of the cushion; and vented shades removably attached to the cushion, the pair of vented shades comprising a solid element, a plurality of vent slots, and a pair of arms, wherein the storage compartment has a size large enough to hold the vented shades.
 10. The multipurpose pillow of claim 11, wherein the vented shades are attached to the cushion by a pair of strings, the strings comprising a first end permanently attached to the cushion, and a second end configured to engage with the arms of the vented shades. 